Container closure



Sept; 8, 1953 J. ROBINSON 2,651,528

CONTAINER cLosuRE original Filed Nov. 28, 1944 IN VEN TOR. JOSEPH Ro/MSMATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 8, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE CONTAINER CLOSUREJoseph Robinson, New York, N. Y.

6 Claims.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial#565,461 filed November 28, 1944, now Letters Patent No. 2,447,535issued August 24, 1948, and embraces especially the construction shownin Figure of that application. The invention relates to closures formetal containers used in shipping chemicals, gasoline, lubricating oilsand the like. Among the objects are to provide a closure which is ruggedand simple; which is inexpensive to manufacture; which providesmultiple-service through interohangeability with existing closures;which does not require a seal-cap to make it liquid tight, and whichemploys only a single gasket, round or square in cross-section, thatrests in a prepared complementary seat and may be reused repeatedly.

Other objects and novel features of my invention will appear from thefollowing description, are pointed out in the appended claims and areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is asectional side elevation of my improved closure;

Figure 2 is an inverted vertical section through the housing C and thering-like insert A showing these parts as they appear before the housingis closed in on the insert;

Figure 3 isa top plan View of the ring-like insert shown in Figures 1and 2, and

Figure 4 is a bottom view thereof.

My improvement comprises an internally threaded ring-like insert diecast or otherwise formed in one or more pieces of any desired material,preferably a non-corrosive material. The insert is provided with anannular flat upper face 6 between which and the threads 'l a verticalwall 8, and a suitable gasket seat 23, Figures 2 and 3, are formed. Thesmooth annular nat surface 9 of the insert extends downwardly andoutwardly from the face E for a distance approximately half the heightof the insert, and thence curves or flares inwardly to form a shoulderor seat I0 which merges with the base or cylindrical neck I I, of theinsert Figures 3 and 4. The drum head B is initially provided, as bypressing, with a housing C shaped to closely receive the surfaces 8 and9 of the insert, Figures 2 and l. An annular bead I2 is formed aroundthe housing and defines the bottom thereof. It projects below the planeof the inner face of the drum head B, and serves to facilitate foldingthe bead IZ over the shoulder I8 of the insert into tight interlockedengagement therewith and with the surfaces 6, 8 and 9. The verticallydisposed portion I4 Vof the housing vfits snugly against itscomplementary bearing 8 and extends downwardly to a point approximatelyin the plane of the top of the gasket seat 23. The arrangement is suchthat when the insert is dropped into the housing CI (while the latter isinverted, Figure 2) the surfaces 8 and 9 engage their bearings in thehousing in advance of engagement between the housing and the flat face 6of the insert, Figure 2. This relationship between the parts insuresthat when the bead I2 of the housing is wrapped over the shoulder I8,drawing the housing into tight wedging engagement with the surfaces 6, 8and 9, the insert will be under spring tension from the surroundingmetal of the housing thereby providing a friction lock between theassembled parts. However, to positively lock the insert immovablyagainst rotation in the housing C, I provide the portion I4 of thehousing with a plurality of lugs or teeth 26 which extend downwardlyfrom its lower edge into openings or slots 22 formed at the bottom ofthe wall 8 adjacent the gasket seat 23. The lugs are curved or llared attheir opposite corners I5, and the slots 22 are similarly shaped attheir upper edges, to guide the lugs into the slots as the insert A isdropped into the housing, Figure 2. For this purpose, these lugs may, ifpreferred, be generally V-shaped and of any desired number equallyspaced or otherwise arranged on the bottom of the wall I4 to mate withcomplementary shaped openings in the ring-like insert A.

A gasket 24 which may be either square or round in cross section restsin a seat 25. Figure 1, on the hollow plug D and seals the joint betweenthe plug, the insert A and the housing. If the gasket is square in crosssection it may be twisted and still it will, with my improvement, makeVa tight joint between the parts to be sealed. The reason is that thefour walls of the conformed gasket seat 23, I4 and 25, together with theannular flange Z'I of the plug D, provide smooth solid surfaces againstwhich the four spiral ridges (that is, the four corners) of the twistedgasket are tightly drawn as the plug is wrenched down by a suitable toolengaging the lugs I8 diametrically arranged on the inner walls of theplug D. If neither a round cross-section gasket, nor a gasket square incross-section, is available a fiat gasket (not shown) may instead besuccessfully used with my improvement. For this purpose I extend theoctagonal annular ange 2'I of the plug D across the flat top surface 28of the housing C. On this flat surface, or gasket seat, the fiat gasketis mounted and is tightly compressed thereon by the flange 21 when theplug is threadu ed home.

To prevent undisclosed tampering with the contents of the drum D and tofacilitate identification of its contents, a thin cap or cover F(Figure 1) painted or embossed as desired, and removable on destruction,is set over the plug and housing C and extends downward to a point nearthe drum head B. By means of a suitable tool, the lower edge 20 of thecap is crimped or rolled into the external annular groove 2l of thehousing, which groove is formed whilst folding the bead i2 over theshoulder il! of the insert A. This method of moving the bead into itsiinal position not only creates the groove 2i in which to anchor theclosure seal, but avoids the stresses in the metal of the drum head thatwould occur if the bead were folded back flat on itself at this point.The groove also receives a tie ring sometimes used to tag the drum andidentify its contents.

The foregoing improvements produce a simple. rugged closure that is leakproof and corrosion proof in which the plug l) will not freeze; aclosure that is to insert in the drum head and which cannot loosen orrotate therein, and which provides multiple-service becauseinterchangeable with the plugs and gaskets of existing closures. Throughits single joint termed by the gasket 24 and its smo-oth conforming seat21;?, lil and 25, no water on the drum head can be vacuumed into thedrum. Content dilution cannot therefor occur. rhe tight wedging actionor the tapered surface 9 against the housing C as the insert A is forcedinto final assembly, and the fact that the harder the nlug D is wrencheddown the tighter the insert is friction locked against the walls of thehousing, materially augment the holding effect of the interlock betweenthe lugs 26 and their sockets or slots 22 and increase security againstthe insert loosening or turning in the drum head. Expansion variables donot ad versely affect my improvement due to its rugged construction andto the compensating spring tension against the insert A placed in thehousing C when closing the housing over the insert. I have shown theinsert made in one piece, but obviously it may be formed in sections orcurled from profiled stock in which the thread has been rolled or milled(or is later tapped) this because the joint between the housing C andthe insert A are both sealed by the single gasket 24 and do not dependfor tightness upon any other seal.

I am aware that to those skilled in the art other modifications mayoccur that do not depart from the spirit or scope of my invention. I,therefore, desire not to be limited to the speciic embodiments hereindisclosed.

What I claim is:

1. In a closure receiving ring-like insert for a metal container, incombination, a wall of the container having an opening dened by anoutwardly extending sleeve, the outer end portion of the sleeve havingan annular inwardly directed ilange formed with a depressed marginalwall against which a gasket is adapted to seat, a lug extendingdownwardly from the inner edge of said wall and an externally ilangedring-like insert, internally threaded for the reception of a flangedclosure plug, disposed within said sleeve and having an annulardepression formed to receive said marginal wall and to provide a seatfor a gasket, said annular depression having at its base a recess whichreceives said lug, a portion of the metal forming the inner end of thesleeve being forced into engagement with said insert beneath the flangeof the latter to rmly grip and maintain the insert within said sleevewith said lug locked in said recess, whereby wrenching down of the plugmaterially augmente the holding effect between said lug and the annulardepression to lock the insert against rotation relative to saidcontainer wall.

2. A. closure receiving ring-like insert for a metal container, inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the threaded insert is a die casting,and wherein tension to compensate for shrinkage variables between theinsert and the sleeve is established in the sleeve when the bottomthereof is folded over the insert.

3, A closure receiving ring-like insert for a metal container, inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the depressed marginal wall and saidannular depression cc-act with said closure tc form a gasket seatconforming to the outline of the gasket to be mounted therein whereby tocooperate with the edges of a twisted gasket to form a tight joint.

4. In a closure receiving ring-like insert for a metal container, incombination, a wall of the container having an opening deiined by asleeve extending outwardly of the container wall, a ring-like insertdisposed Within the sleeve and having its outer end face formed with acounterbored portion, said insert being internally threaded for thereception of a flanged closure plug and having its outer end providedwith an external flange dening a downwardly facing shoulder, the innerend of the sleeve beingr forced into engagement with the insert beneathsaid shoulder, the remainder of the sleeve being forced into engagementwith the insert so as to conform to the contour of and to cover theouter face of the insert whereby the inner face of the container wall isdisposed and maintained substantially flush with the inner end face ofthe insert, said sleeve including a vertical wall bearing rigidlyagainst a complementary wall in said counterbored portion, and aplurality of lugs extending away from the bottom of said wall intorecesses formed in said counterbored portion to receive them, wherebywrenching down of said closure plug materially augmente the holdingeffect of the interlock between said lugs and the complementary recessesin said counterbored portion.

5. In a closure receiving ring-like insert for a metal container, incombination, a wall of the container having an opening dened by a sleeveextending outwardly of the container wall, a ring-like insert disposedwithin said sleeve and having its plane outer end face formed with acounterbored portion providing a gasket receiving seat and a pluralityof recesses, said insert being internally threaded for the reception ofa flanged closure plug and having its outer end formed with an inwardlyfacing external shoulder, the inner end portion of the sleeve beingforced into engagement with the insert beneath the external shoulder,and the sleeve being forced into engagement with the remainder of theinsert and terminating within said counterbored portion in a pluralityiof lugs formed to enter and interlock with said recesses, wherebywrenching down of the plug materially augmente the interlock betweensaid lugs and the recesses referred to and maintains the insert againstmovement relative to the sleeve.

6. In a closure receiving ring-like insert for a metal container, incombination, a wall of the 5 container' having an opening dened by anoutwardly extending sleeve, the outer end portion of the sleeve havingan annular inwardly directed right-angle ange formed with a verticallydepressed marginal gasket receiving wall, an externally flangedring-like insert disposed in said sleeve, said insert being internallythreaded for the reception of a anged closure plug and having an annulardepression formed to receive the depressed seat portion of the sleeve,the outer end portion of the sleeve being preformed so that the innerface of the wall defining the depressed marginal gasket receiving wallis spaced from the opposite inner face of the sleeve a distance lessthan the thickness of the outer end portion of the ring-like insert,whereby to provide tensioned gripping engagement between the insert andthe sleeve when the inner end portion of the sleeve is forced inwardlybeneath the external preformed outer end of the sleeve and to formskin-tight engagement between all the mating surfaces of the parts, anda plurality of projections extending downwardly from the bottom of saidvertical wall into recesses formed in said insert to receive themwhereby wrenching down of the closure plug augments the interlockbetween said projections and the recesses and more positively locks theinsert against rotation in said sleeve.

JOSEPH ROBINSON.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,279,475 Stelau Sept. 17, 1918 1,435,021 Draper Nov. 21, 1922'2,149,906 Bell Mar. 7, 1939 2,339,255 Dodson Jan. 18, 1944 2,447,535Robinson Aug. 24, 1948 2,447,536 Robinson Aug. 24, 1948

